May 13th, 2009 - Cold Springs, Wisconsin
Sam was gone. Two minutes ago, he had walked out of the hotel room, leaving a beaten Amy and Dean behind.
Dean lay on the ground on a pile of broken glass from the mirror he and Sam had shattered in their fight. Amy leaned against the bed, wondering what to do now.
"Come on," Dean's voice brought Amy back to reality. "Let's go."
Amy stayed sitting as she watched Dean walk out of the room. It wasn't until the door closed behind him that she finally stood up and made her way to the door. She opened it up and followed Dean down the hallway and out to the Impala.
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
It was a quiet drive back to Bobby's house. The old hunter opened the door for them, looking confused when he saw that Sam wasn't with them.
"Where's-"
Dean cut Bobby off, shoving him out of the way as he stepped inside the house.
Bobby looked over at Amy. She shook her head silently as she stepped into the house. "We couldn't get through to him," she said quietly enough for only Bobby to hear her. "He left." She let out a shaky sigh. "With Ruby."
Bobby's face fell. "Damn it," he hissed.
Amy followed Bobby into the study, where Dean was brooding over by the window. She sat down on the couch next to him.
"What happened?" Bobby asked.
Dean didn't reply, so Amy took over answering. "We found Sam at a hotel with Ruby. He defended her and then a fight broke out." She took a deep breath. "Sam got the upper hand and walked out the door with Ruby."
Bobby turned to Dean. "Dean, I know things are tough right now," he started, "but maybe it's not too late to get through to him. Just, give him a call."
Dean still didn't answer. He continued staring out the window.
"Dean?" Amy asked.
Bobby realized Dean wasn't listening. "Dean!" he snapped. "You listen to a word I said?"
"Yeah, I heard you," Dean said, not turning away from the window. "I'm not calling him."
"Don't make me get my gun, boy," Bobby threatened.
Dean turned to face him. "We are damn near kickoff for Armageddon, don't you think we got bigger fish at the moment?"
Bobby shook his head. "I know you're pissed. And I'm not making apologies for what he's done, but he's your-"
Dean cut Bobby off. "Blood? He's my blood, is that what you were gonna say?"
"He's your brother," Bobby corrected matter of factly. "And he's drowning."
"Bobby, I tried to help him, I did. Look what happened."
"So try again," Bobby ordered.
Dean walked across the room. "It's too late."
"It might not be," Amy said hopefully.
Bobby leaned against his desk. "There's no such thing."
"No, damn it!" Dean snapped. He turned back to face Bobby as he took a few breaths to calm down. "No. I gotta face the facts. Sam never wanted part of this family. He hated this life growing up. Ran away to Stanford first chance he got. Now it's like déjà vu all over again." He sat down in the chair. "Well, I am sick and tired of chasing him. Screw him, he can do what he wants."
Amy sighed. "Dean-" she whispered.
Bobby cut her off. "You don't mean that," he said angrily
"Yes I do, Bobby." Dean looked down at the floor. Tears were forming in his eyes again. "Sam's gone. He's gone. I'm not even sure if he's still my brother anymore." There was a long pause. "If he ever was."
Bobby turned around, placing both hands on his desk. Amy could hear him breathing heavily as he looked around. She had a hunch she knew what was coming next and stood up. A moment later, he angrily swept every book and paper off of his desk, before turning back to Dean. Dean stood up as Bobby advanced on him.
"You stupid, stupid son of a bitch!" Bobby bellowed. "Well, boo hoo, I am so sorry your feelings are hurt, princess! Are you under the impression that family's supposed to make you feel good?! Bake you an apple pie, maybe? They're supposed to make you miserable! That's why they're family!"
"I told him, "you walk out that door, don't come back" and he walked out anyway!" Dean argued. "That was his choice!"
"You sound like a whiny brat."
Dean scoffed and walked away.
Bobby shook his head. "No, you sound like your dad. Well, let me tell you something. Your dad was a coward."
Dean stopped at the window. He turned back around to face Bobby. "My dad was a lot of things, Bobby, but a coward?"
"He'd rather push Sam away than reach out to him. Well, that don't strike me as brave." Bobby glared at Dean. "You are a better man than your daddy ever was. So you do both of us a favor. Don't be him."
Dean turned back to the window. Amy opened her mouth to say something, but the room around her changed before she could.
"What the hell?" Amy muttered. She was in a large room with Dean. The walls were white and painted with gold accents. Portraits lined the walls and various items, including several statues and a clock, stood on tables around the room. There was a white and gold couch on a raised platform, with steps leading up to it, and a marble table in the center of it all.
Dean turned around. His eyes grew wide at the sight of the changed scenery. Castiel stood in the center of the room.
"Hello, Dean," the angel greeted. He nodded towards Amy. "Amy. It's almost time."
Amy narrowed her eyes at the angel.
Dean continued looking around the room in shock. Finally, he turned to Castiel. "Time?" he asked. "Time for what?"
"What the hell are we doing here, Cas?" Amy asked.
Instead of answering, Castiel vanished. Amy sighed as she shook her head. "Angels," she muttered.
Dean walked around the room. "What are we doing here?" he asked.
"I think it's almost time for Lilith to be killed," Amy said. "And the angels that want that to happen are trying to stop us from preventing it."
Dean paused, turning to her in shock. He let out a breathy sigh as he continued walking around the room. He walked past a fireplace, looking up at each painting on the wall. Amy sat down at the marble table, putting her chin in her hands.
A bowl filled with ice and beers and a silver platter stacked with hamburgers appeared on the table. Dean noticed. He slowly walked up to the table, looking around suspiciously.
Dean took a beer bottle out of the bowl, studying the label. Zachariah and Castiel appeared next to him.
"Hello, Dean," Zachariah said, drawing Dean's attention to him. "You're looking fit."
"Oh god," Amy groaned, "not you." She stood up, walking over to stand next to Dean.
Dean put the beer bottle back. "Well, how 'bout this?" he asked. "The suite life of Zach and Cas."
Castiel and Zachariah stared at him blankly.
"Suite Life of Zack and Cody. It's a TV show," Amy offered helpfully.
The angels continued staring.
Dean shook his head. "Never mind. So, what is this?" He gestured around the room. "Where the hell are we?"
"Call it a Greenroom," Zachariah said as he stepped closer. "We're closing in on the grand finale, here. We want to keep you safe before showtime." He picked up one of the burgers, holding it out to Dean. "Try a burger. They're your favorite. From that seaside shack in Delaware. You were eleven, I think."
Dean shook his head. "I'm not hungry."
Zachariah held the burger out to Amy. She crossed her arms. "I'll pass," she hissed. "Thanks."
Zachariah put the burger back down. "No?" He turned back to Dean. "How about Ginger from season two of "Gilligan's Island"? You do have a thing for her, don't you?"
Dean considered the offer. "Tempting." He frowned. "Weird."
"We'll throw in Mary Ann for free," Zachariah continued.
"Please stop talking," Amy said.
"No, no. Let's... bail on the holodeck, okay?" he asked. "I want to know what the game plan is."
Zachariah smiled. "Let us worry about that. We want you... focused, relaxed."
"Well, I'm about to be pissed and leaving, so start talking, Chuckles."
Zachariah sighed, shaking his head. He walked behind Dean and Amy. "All the seals have fallen. Except one."
"You mean except Lilith being killed," Amy corrected, turning around with Dean. "Which, correct me if I'm wrong, is something you dicks are rooting for?"
Zachariah frowned, turning back to face her. "Oh, no, no, no," he said. "You've got it all wrong."
Amy scoffed. "Yeah, sure. I know a lot more than you think."
"Yes, so I've been told. You seem to have a knack for putting your nose where it doesn't belong." He turned back to Dean. "The final seal, it'll be different." Zachariah walked back over to Castiel, patting Dean on the shoulder as he walked by.
"Why?" Dean asked.
"Lilith has to break it," Zachariah said.
Dean and Amy shared a look.
"She's the only one who can," Zachariah continued. "Tomorrow night - midnight."
Amy folded her arms again and turned back to the angel, glaring.
"Where?" Dean asked.
"We're working on it," Zachariah assured him.
"Well, work harder," Dean snapped.
"We'll do our job. You just make sure you do yours."
"Yeah, and what is that, exactly?" Dean asked. "Making sure Sam doesn't start the frigging apocalypse? 'Cause I can't exactly do that from in here."
"All in good time," Zachariah assured him.
Amy sighed. She leaned back, looking up at the ceiling. "Wow," she whispered.
"Isn't now a good time?" Dean asked.
"Have faith."
"What, in you? Give me one good reason why I should."
Zachariah walked forward, getting in Dean's face. "Because you swore your obedience. So obey."
Dean looked over at Castiel, who looked down guiltily. A moment later, both angels vanished, leaving Amy and Dean alone in the room once more.
"I can't wait till that dick dies," Amy muttered. She sat down on the marble table as Dean pulled out his phone. "What are you doing?"
Dean didn't answer her. He paced back and forth, tapping the phone against his hand. "Ah, screw it," he muttered.
Dean opened the phone and dialed a number before holding it to his ear. There was a long pause before he started speaking, still pacing around the room. "Hey, it's me," he began. "Uh..." he cleared his throat. "Look, I'll just get right to it. I'm still pissed... and I owe you a serious beatdown. But... I shouldn't have said what I said. You know, I'm not Dad. We're brothers. You know, we're family. And, uh... no matter how bad it gets, that doesn't change. Sammy, I'm sorry."
Amy let out a long breath. "I'm sorry," she said. "This is all my fault."
Dean shook his head. "No, it's not. It's not your fault Sam didn't listen. There's no way you could have done anything about that." He walked angrily over to one of the mantelpieces against the wall. "Castiel!" he shouted angrily. "Get your ass over here!"
No response. Dean poked at one of the angel figurines on the mantelpiece. It fell to the ground, shattering on the tile. Castiel suddenly appeared behind him.
"You asked to see me?" the angel said.
Dean spun around, looking slightly guilty. "Yeah, listen, I, uh, I-I need something."
Castiel nodded. "Anything you wish."
"I need you to take me to see Sam."
Castiel frowned. "Why?"
"There's something I got to talk to him about," Dean said.
"What's that?" Castiel pushed.
Dean walked forward. "The B.M. I took this morning," he snapped. "What's it to you? Just make it snappy."
Castiel stared at him for a moment, before turning away. "I don't think that's wise."
"Well, I didn't ask you for your opinion," Dean said.
"Cas, please," Amy pleaded, standing up. "We're trying to stop the apocalypse here, we really are. "
Castiel ignored her. "Have you forgotten what happened the last time you met?" he asked Dean.
Dean held the angel's gaze. "No. That's the whole point." He sighed. "Listen, I'm gonna do whatever you mooks want, okay? I just need to tie up this one thing. Five minutes - that's all I need."
Castiel paused. "No," he finally said.
Dean frowned. "What do you mean, no? Are you saying that we're trapped here?"
"You can go wherever you want," Castiel promised.
"Super. I want to go see Sam," Dean declared.
"Yeah," Amy agreed. "Same here."
"Except there."
"I want to take a walk," Dean tried.
"Fine. I'll go with you."
"Alone."
"No."
Dean smirked. "You know what? Screw this noise. I'm out of here." He walked past Castiel, heading towards a door on the opposite end of the room. Amy stayed where she was, knowing his plan would never work.
Castiel turned around. "Through what door?"
Dean paused. He turned back to Castiel, frowning. Amy watched the door vanish before her eyes as Dean turned back to what was now a smooth wall. He turned back around, but Castiel was already gone.
"It never would have worked," Amy stated. "We gotta find a way to get through to Cas somehow."
Dean scoffed. "There's no getting through to him."
"There might be," Amy said.
Dean walked up to her. "How?"
Amy sighed. "Cas, he - like Ruby is with Sam, the angels are basically manipulating him. I told you before that some of the angels want Lilith freed. I'm pretty sure they've made Cas believe that same thing. They're making him believe that this is right. Just...trust me, Dean. Please. We can get through to him, we just have to find a way to do so."
Dean grabbed a pedestal. "Let's find a way out of here, first."
"That's not gonna work," Amy said. "They don't want us to leave. They're not gonna make it easy for us to get out."
"She's right, you know."
Dean and Amy turned to see Zachariah back in the room.
"Quit hurling feces like a howler monkey, would you?" Zachariah asked. "It's unbecoming."
"Let us out of here," Dean growled, advancing on the angel. He threw the pedestal to the ground.
"Like I told you: too dangerous out there. Demons on the prowl."
"I've been getting my ass kicked all year," Dean asked. "Now you're sweating my safety? You're lying. I want to see my brother."
"That's..." Zachariah paused for a moment, searching for the right words. "...ill-advised."
Dean scoffed. "You know, I am so sick of your crap riddles and your smug, fat face. What the hell is going on, huh?" he demanded. "Why can't I see Sam? And how am I gonna stop him from icing Lilith?"
Zachariah sighed. "You're not." At Dean's confused look, he added, "Going to stop Sam from icing Lilith."
Dean stared in disbelief "What?"
"And, there it is," Amy said triumphantly, folding her arms.
"Lilith's going to break the final seal," Zachariah said. "Fait accompli at this point. Train's left the station." He sat down on the couch.
Dean turned to Amy. She nodded. He turned back to Zachariah. "Amy was right. You don't want to stop it, do you?"
"Nope. Never did," Zachariah confirmed. "The end is nigh. The apocalypse is coming, kiddo, to a theater near you."
"What was all that crap about saving seals?" Dean asked.
"An act," Amy stated. "To try and get you to think they wanted the seals to stop breaking."
Zachariah nodded. "We couldn't just tell them the whole truth. We'd have a full-scale rebellion on our hands. I mean, think about it. Would we really let sixty-five seals get broken unless senior management wanted it that way?"
Dean frowned. "But why?"
Zachariah shrugged. "Why not? The apocalypse? Poor name, bad marketing. Puts people off. When all it is is Ali Foreman. On a... slightly larger scale. And we like our chances. When our side wins - and we will - it's paradise on earth."
Dean slowly turned around, now noticing the violent depictions in each painting on the walls.
"Now, what's not to like about that?" Zachariah asked.
Amy narrowed her eyes at the angel. "You sadistic son of a bitch."
"Not sadistic," Zachariah corrected. "Just...optimistic."
Dean turned back to Zachariah. "What happens to all the people during your little pissing contest?"
"Well... you can't make an omelet without cracking a few eggs." Zachariah stood back up. "In this case... truckloads of eggs, but you get the picture." He buttoned his blazer up and walked towards Dean and Amy. "Look... it happens. This isn't the first planetary enema we've delivered."
Dean began eyeing a statue on the mantelpiece. Zachariah noticed. "Uh, no, Dean," he said. "Probably shouldn't try to bash my skull in with that thing. Wouldn't end up too pleasant for you."
"What about Sam?" Dean asked. "He won't go quietly. You can't make him kill Lilith."
"Can't I?" Zachariah asked. "Because it seems to me that he's already heading in that direction. All he needs is one final push."
Amy walked over to stand next to Dean. "What the hell do you mean by that?" she asked.
"What are you gonna do to him?" Dean added.
"Sam, Sam, Sam. Marcia, Marcia, Marcia," Zachariah said mockingly. "Forget about him, would you?" He put a hand on Dean's shoulder. "You have larger concerns. Why do you think I'm confiding in you? You're still vital, Dean. We weren't lying about your destiny. Just... omitted a few pertinent details. But nothing's changed. You are chosen. You will stop it. Just... not Lilith, or the apocalypse. That's all."
"Which means?"
Zachariah pointed to one of the paintings next to them. "Lucifer." Dean turned to the painting. "You're going to stop Lucifer. You're our own little Russell Crowe, complete with surly attitude. And when it's over... and when you've won... your rewards will be... unimaginable. Peace, happiness. Zachariah pat Dean on the back. "Two virgins and seventy sluts." He chuckled and began walking across the room. "Trust me - one day, we'll look back on this and laugh."
"Tell me something," Dean said, stopping the angel in his tracks. "Where's God in all this?"
Zachariah didn't turn around. "God? God has left the building." Without another word, he disappeared.
Dean angrily kicked the wall. "Son of a bitch!" he shouted. He turned around. "I don't believe this."
"Yeah, well, believe it," Amy said. "Archangels run the show now, basically." She sat back down at the marble table, grabbing a burger.
"There's gotta be some way out of here," Dean muttered as he looked around the room.
"Try calling Sam again," Amy suggested.
Dean nodded. "Yeah, alright." He pulled out his phone and dialed Sam's number, holding the phone to his ear.
Amy watched as Dean paced around the room again, listening to the phone ring. After a moment, he frowned, looking at his phone in confusion.
Castiel suddenly appeared. "You can't reach him, Dean," the angel stated. "You're outside your coverage zone."
"What are you gonna do to Sam?" Dean demanded.
"Nothing. He's gonna do it to himself."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Amy stood back up. "Cas, please, just listen to us. Lilith is the final seal. Okay? If you can just get us to Sam, then we can stop him from killing her and breaking the final seal."
Castiel looked down but didn't say anything.
"Cas, buddy, I know you know something's wrong here," Amy continued.
Castiel didn't look back up. "I have my orders."
"Screw your orders, man!" Dean shouted. "It's not too late, we can stop this."
Castiel turned to Dean. "We've been through much together, you and I. And I just wanted to say, I'm sorry it ended like this."
"Seriously?" Amy asked. "That's all you have to say?"
Dean punched Castiel hard in the face. He flexed his hand in pain, while the angel barely flinched.
Dean straightened back up, standing with his back to Castiel. "It's Armageddon, Cas. You need a bigger word than 'sorry'."
"Try to understand, this is long foretold. This is your..."
Dean cut Castiel off. "Destiny?"
"That is such bullshit," Amy snapped.
"Don't give me that holy crap," Dean continued. "Destiny, God's plan... It's all a bunch of lies, you poor, stupid son of a bitch! It's just a way for your bosses to keep me and keep you in line! You know what's real? People, families - that's real. And you're gonna watch them all burn?"
Castiel began advancing on Dean. "What is so worth saving?" he asked angrily. "I see nothing but pain here. I see inside you. I see your guilt, your anger, confusion." He turned to Amy. "You won't be alone anymore." He turned back to Dean. "In paradise, all is forgiven. You'll be at peace. Even with Sam."
Dean took a step forward. His face was inches away from Castiel, who looked away. Dean leaned down, catching Castiel's eye. "You can take your peace... and shove it up your lily-white ass. 'Cause I'll take the pain and the guilt. I'll even take Sam as is. It's a lot better than being some Stepford bitch in paradise. This is simple, Cas! No more crap about being a good soldier. There is a right and there is a wrong here, and you know it."
Castiel turned away.
"Look at me!" Dean snapped. He grabbed the angel by the shoulder and spun him back around. "You know it!" he continued. "You were gonna help me once, weren't you? You were gonna warn me about all this before they dragged you back to Bible camp. Help me - now. Please."
Castiel hesitated. "What would you have me do?" he finally asked after a moment.
"Get us to Sam," Dean begged, gesturing between himself and Amy. "We can stop this before it's too late."
"I do that, we will all be hunted. We'll all be killed."
"I'll take that over the end of the world," Amy stated. "Especially if it means winning this."
"If there is anything worth dying for... this is it," Dean added.
Castiel looked like he wanted to agree. He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it back up and shook his head, looking down.
Amy groaned as she turned her back to Castiel and put her hands on her face in frustration. "Come on, Cas!" she snapped.
"You spineless soulless son of a bitch," Dean snarled. "What do you care about dying? You're already dead. We're done."
"Dean-"
Dean cut the angel off. "We're done!"
There was a light breeze and Amy turned around to find that Castiel had left.
Neither Dean nor Amy spoke for an hour. The minutes ticked by as Dean paced around the room. Finally, he turned to Amy.
"Maybe you could reach out to him?" he asked. "Pray to him or something?"
Amy scoffed, leaning back in her chair. "I mean if you think it'll work-"
"I don't know if it'll work, that's the thing," Dean admitted. "But we're running out of options and time. Zachariah said this thing goes down at midnight, right?"
Amy nodded. "No, you're right, this is probably our last shot." She sighed. "Here goes nothing I guess."
Amy closed her eyes. 'Cas, I don't know if you're listening, but please just hear me out,' she thought, unaware if her message was getting through, 'I know I've said it before, but we're trying to stop the apocalypse. Lilith doesn't break the final seal, she is the final seal. We can't let Sam kill her because if he does, that sets Lucifer free.' She cracked open her eyes. Dean was watching her. 'I know your superiors or whatever are telling you they're doing the right thing, and they're trying to stop this as well, but they're lying, Cas. Please, just help us. It might not be too late.'
"Did it work?" Dean asked.
"How should I know?" Amy asked back. "I guess all we can do now is wait and hope for the best." She grabbed another hamburger.
Twenty minutes ticked by. Dean continued pacing around the room, occasionally eyeing the platter of hamburgers.
"Dean, you've been staring at those burgers since we got here," Amy said, "would you just take one, already? They're actually pretty good."
Dean stopped in his tracks. He continued eyeing the burgers for a moment, before finally reaching out to grab a burger.
As soon as Dean grabbed a burger, Castiel appeared behind him. He grabbed Dean by the shoulder and spun him around, shoving him against the wall. Dean looked at Cas in confusion.
Amy quickly ran around the table. "Cas?" she asked, wondering what the angel was doing.
Cas put a hand over Dean's mouth and cast Amy a meaningful look. Amy closed her mouth, and Cas drew out the demon knife. He stared at Dean, holding up the knife. After a moment, Dean gave the angel a slight nod. Cas turned to Amy, who nodded as well.
The angel let Dean go. He drew the blade across his forearm and used his other hand to smear the blood on the wall, drawing out the angel banishing sigil.
"Castiel!" Zachariah suddenly appeared behind them. "Would you mind explaining just what the hell you're doing?"
Without a word, Castiel finished drawing the angel banishing sigil and slammed his palm down on it. Amy and Dean shielded their eyes as a flash of bright, white light appeared and Zachariah disappeared.
Castiel turned to them. "He won't be gone long. We have to find Sam now."
"Where is he?" Dean asked.
"I don't know," Cas said. "But I know who does." He handed Dean the demon knife and turned to Amy. "You were right, Lilith is the final seal. We have to stop Sam from killing Lilith."
"How?" Amy asked. "We don't have a lot of time left."
"I know someone who can tell us where he is," Cas repeated.
"Chuck," Amy realized. "Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's go!"
Castiel nodded. He stood between Amy and Dean, grabbing an arm each. The room they were in vanished and Amy soon found herself standing in a kitchen.
Chuck was on the phone with his back to them, pacing around the room as he talked on the phone. "Lady, sometimes you got to live like there's no tomorrow." He turned around, freezing when he saw the two hunters and angel standing there.
Amy turned to the angel. "Cas? Next time, just leave me behind," she said.
"Wait. T-t-this isn't supposed to happen," Chuck stuttered. He glanced at the phone in his hand as someone on the other line spoke. "No, lady, this is definitely supposed to happen, but I just got to call you back." He hung up, setting the phone on his desk.
"Chuck?" Amy asked. "Dude? What the hell?"
"I..." Chuck glanced between the Cas, Dean, and Amy, "what are you doing here? I didn't write this."
Cas took a step forward. "Where is Sam?"
"I-what?" Chuck asked.
"Answer the question, Chuck!" Dean snapped.
"Uh," Chuck fumbled for something on his desk. He pulled out a stack of papers, handing them to Dean. Amy leaned over Dean's arm as he flipped through the pages until he found what he was searching for.
"St. Mary's?" Dean asked, looking up from the papers. "What is that, a convent?"
Chuck nodded. "Yeah, but you guys aren't supposed to be there. You're not in this story."
"Yeah, well..." Castiel glanced at Dean, then at Amy, "we're making it up as we go."
The computer on Chuck's desk suddenly began flickering and the house began to shake. A bright white light appeared outside the window.
"Aw, man!" Chuck groaned. "Not again! No!"
"What's going on?" Amy asked.
"It's the Archangel!" Cas turned to Dean and Amy. "I'll hold him off!" he told them, shouting over the noise. "I'll hold them all off! Just stop Sam!" He placed a hand on each of their foreheads.
Amy expected to appear with Dean at St. Mary's, but that didn't happen. Dean disappeared from his spot next to her, but she stayed put.
She looked over at Cas and Chuck, who both had a look of confusion on their face. The house shook violently again and she almost lost her balance.
"Cas?" Amy asked as she regained her footing, "I'd like to leave now if that's alright with you."
Cas placed a hand on her forehead again. Nothing happened. "I don't understand," he said. "Why is nothing happening?"
Amy let out a panicked scream and jumped back as a lamp next to her exploded. "Cas?!" she cried out.
"Why is she still here?" Chuck asked, pointing to Amy.
"I don't understand." Panic was rising in Cas's voice. "She should have been sent to St. Mary's with Dean."
Amy and Chuck shielded their eyes as the light outside the kitchen window got brighter. Cas grabbed their arms, pushing them out of the kitchen. "Get out of here, now!" he ordered.
Chuck grabbed Amy's arm as she continued shielding her eyes. He pulled her into another room, closing the door behind them.
"Chuck, what the hell is going on?" Amy asked. "Why am I still here?"
"It's Raphael," Chuck explained. He began pacing around the room. "He's the archangel guarding prophet me. Looks like he doesn't want you to leave."
"Well, can't you get me out of here?" Amy asked, panic in her voice. It was safe to say that she was terrified at that moment.
Chuck shook his head. "Not without drawing suspicion."
"Huh?" Amy asked. Her voice squeaked slightly as she looked up at Chuck in confusion. "So I'm stuck here while your freaking house falls apart?"
"You'll be okay," Chuck assured her, "don't worry."
Amy scoffed. "Oh, yeah, cause telling someone not to panic definitely doesn't make them panic more!" The house shook again. "What's gonna happen?"
Before Chuck could answer her, there was a loud bang outside the door. The force knocked Amy off her feet and she fell backward onto the wooden floor.
Amy rubbed her head as she sat up. "What was that?"
Chuck looked solemnly at the door. "Cas. That was Cas."
Amy stood back up. "Is he-?"
Chuck nodded. "Yeah, he is."
Amy let out a shaky breath she didn't know she didn't know she had been holding.
"I can rebuild him," Chuck continued, "but it'll take some time."
The clock in the pain part of the house started to chime. Amy counted twelve total. "It's midnight," she realized.
Chuck nodded. "Dean didn't make it in time," he informed her.
"Sam killed Lilith?" Amy asked.
Chuck nodded again.
"Crap," Amy said.
"I'm putting Sam and Dean on a plane right now," Chuck told her. "I'll send you there with them. Just tell them you don't know what happened."
Amy nodded. "Okay."
"I'll see you in a bit."
The room around her vanished and Amy suddenly found herself sitting next to a window on an airplane. She looked around, spotting Sam and Dean in the seats next to her.
"Amy?" Dean asked. "What happened? Where did you go?"
"Cas tried to send me to St. Mary's with you, but he couldn't," Amy explained. "I don't know what happened but all of a sudden I was here."
"What about Cas?" Dean asked. "What happened to him?"
"The archangel killed him," Amy explained. "Chuck and I hid in another room, Cas exploded, and the next thing I knew, I was here."
There was a tone above their heads and a voice came over the speaker. "Folks, quick word from the flight deck. We're just passing over Ilchester, then Ellicott City, on our initial descent into Baltimore—"
"Ilchester? Weren't we just there?" Dean asked his brother.
"So if you'd like to stretch your legs, now would be a good time to— Holy crap!" the plane suddenly tilted violently to one side. A bright light filled the cabin and oxygen masks dropped down from the ceiling above. Everyone quickly grabbed one, putting them over their faces. Amy saw Dean turn to the window, looking terrified as the plane fell through the sky. She closed the window shade.
It wasn't long before the light faded away and the plane straightened back out. The pilot's voice came back on over the speaker, telling them all it was safe to take their masks off. Amy took her mask off, letting it hang in front of her. She looked over at Dean, whose knuckles had now turned white from gripping the armrests on either side of his seat so tightly. She placed a comforting hand on his own, in an attempt to calm him down. While this wasn't how she had wanted her very first plane ride to go, comforting Dean over his fear of plane rides mattered more to her than anything at that moment.
Baltimore, Maryland
Half an hour later, the plane landed. Amy followed Sam and Dean through the terminal and to the rental area, where Dean got them a car.
Sam turned on the radio as Dean drove them down the road.
"—and Governor O'Malley urged calm, saying it's very unlikely an abandoned convent would be a target for terrorists, either foreign or homegrown."
"Change the station," Dean instructed.
Sam pushed a button on the radio and it flipped to a new station.
"—Hurricane Kinley, unexpectedly slamming into the Galveston area—"
Sam pushed the button again.
"—announced a successful test of the North Korean nuclear—"
And again.
"—a series of tremors—"
Again.
"—swine flu—"
Sam pushed the power button, switching the radio off. He took a deep breath. "Dean, look—"
Dean held up a hand. "Don't say anything." He paused, glancing over at Sam. "It's okay," he said. "We just got to keep our heads down and hash this out, all right?"
Sam paused. "Yeah, okay," he finally agreed.
"All right, well, first things first—How did we end up on Soul Plane?" Dean asked.
"Angels, maybe?" Sam guessed. "I mean, you know, beaming us out of harm's way?"
"Well, whatever. It's the least of our worries. We need to get back to Chuck's place. Find out everything we can." Dean gripped the wheel tightly as he sped towards Kripke's Creek, Ohio. "Hopefully he has some answers for us."
